Little Boy speaks out

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   In a town hall meeting in Springdale, Arkansas, a little boy named Toby got us and said "Donald Trump makes Mexicans not important to people who are in Arkansas who like Mexicans, like me, my grandma. And he is deleting all the parks and PBS Kids just  to make a wall... and he shouldn't do that. He shouldn't do all that stuff just for the wall" He's referring to how the Trump administration is planning on cutting the financial support to the National Park Services and public television. Toby also said "People like parks, people like PBS Kids, and the Mexican wall, people like Mexicans."

Town hall meeting 

Kellyanne Conway

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   Kellyanne Conway has been targeted on media for quite some time. I mean she kinda deserves it, but who am I to say. She is most recently famous for telling reporters to "Go buy Ivanka's clothes" since Nordstrum stopped selling her brand. Conway hasn't been appearing on TV as much recently, and according to Politco, it has nothing to do with the fact that Trump is driving her insane, but it's because she's a working mother. Funny... why was she on my TV screen every gosh darn day of the presidential race? Why wasn't she being a mother then? Conway says "I don't think I have to explain myself if I'm not going TV if I'm out with for kids for three days looking at houses and school." It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that why weren't you doing that before? You've known you were going to be in DC since last November,  that's about 4 months to prepare. I think she's just hiding from the TV's because she doesn't want to become the next poltical meme. But on the other she does seem exhausted. I guess she could use the rest before she shows up on my social media and delivers some "alternative facts". Hopefully we can keep her from confusing the US population for a little longer. 

Conway pleading for help 

Trans Bathroom

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  Trump administration has revoked Obama's transgender rule. This rule stated that students could use which ever bathroom they wanted to based on their gender orientation, defended by the law Title IX (according to NPR). By taking this rule away, Trump isn't really accomplishing much. He's just provoking more protest. Which will lead to large movements all across the country where people use the opposite sex bathroom. This is not proven yet, but it's reasonable to infer this since it's how the public has responded to other Trump executive action. The Justice of education said that the Obama documents don't "contain extensive legal analysis or explain how the position is consistent with the express language of Title IX, nor did they undergo any formal public process. This interpretation has given rise to significant litigation regarding school restrooms and locker room." They're basically saying that because Obama didn't use fancy language or go through a formal process, this rule is invalid. Ok but how but the First Amendment? How about when Thomas Jefferson said "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."? Let students use whichever bathroom they want, it's their constitutional right.

DeVos Confirmed

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   Betsy DeVos, the atrocious nominee for Education Secretary, has been confirmed. Her nomination has been "one of the most contentious confirmations in history". (NY Times). She was confirmed with a 51 to 50 vote. Mike Pence was the tie breaking vote. Which is the first time a vice president was called to break a tie on a cabinet nominee. Senator Al Franken asked for republican senators to explain why they supported DeVos. He said "If we cannot set aside party loyalty long enough to preform the essential duty of vetting the president's nominee, what are we even doing here?". Only 2 Republican senators voted for DeVos, Susan Collins (Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). Bothe said Devos was "unqualified because of a lack of familiarity with public schools and with laws meant to protect students." (NyTimes). Democrats have also showed concern of her nomination because in the past DeVos has said that the government sucks and that public schools are a "dead end". 

 A meme

Rogue Twitter accounts

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  According to an NPR article, there have been several twitter accounts that are indirectly affiliated with an agency, and are tweeting their opposing views of Trump. Their have been claims that these accounts are run by members of this agencies. But the members say that they left the account to the activists. NPR says that "this form of expression could be a logical way to oppose a media blackout." Most of these accounts are also encouraging people to contact their senators and congressional representatives, since they probably don't spend time looking for constituents on Twitter. These accounts are essentially just sharing facts and advice on how to be involved, as well as squeezing in a few jokes about Trump. But all in all they're just advocating participatory democracy.

"Revenge of the Bureaucrats"

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  According to a Politico article, Trump is planning on signing an executive order that will shrink the size of the government workforce, and federal hiring. As well as shrinking agencies that work with domestic policy. However Trump doesn't know how hard it's going to be. Employees can leak confidential info to the press and Capitol Hill, unraveling some of the White houses best plans. Trump's aides are trying a new process called "reduction in force", which would allow his new administration to skip over the complex rules for hiring and firing federal employees. However the majority of the employees that are in the federal workforce work in security and defense related agencies, and Trump said he wouldn't do anything to those agencies during his campaign. Earlier, House Republicans brought back an 1876 rule that allows them to reduce salaries of individuals who work with the government using legislation. A career federal worker, told Politico, "they're basically creating an environment of fear within the government. In creating that culture of fear it's probably going to suppress some of the people from standing up to the administration." And instead of standing up, those who are close to retirement will most likely leave.

political cartoon on bureaucracy